South Florida News 9
South Florida News 9 is an American 24-hour cable news TV channel focusing on the South Florida area. In addition to news & weather forecasts, the channel also features human-interest segments such as the "South Floridan of the Week" & the "Scholar Athlete of the Week". South Florida News 9 is O&O by WMFL Corporation, a sister station to WMFL-TV 6, WFMC FOX 12 & it's sister radio stations. On the South Florida Fantasy Cable TV service, South Florida News 9 appears on ch. 9 in SD (with a 4:3 aspect ratio) & on ch. 1009 in HD (with a 16:9 aspect ratio). It's available exclusively to over 6 million cable-TV customers in the South Florida area History South Florida News 9 was launched on January 1st 1989, the same day Palm Beach News 5 launched. In 2001, South Florida Fantasy Cable TV began offering South Florida News 9 to digital-cable subscribers in the Palm Beaches & the Treasure Coast areas. In late of 2005, South Florida News 9 launched a video-on-demand service for SFFCTV customers. South Florida News 9 on Demand is on Ch. 1119 in the South Florida Fantasy Cable TV system. In 2008, South Florida News 9 launched an HD channel on Ch. 1009, although it was aired only in a pillarbox format (i.e., 4:3 aspect ratio picture with side pillars of South Florida News 9's logo) until migrating to a full 16:9 aspect ratio in January 2009 South Florida News 9 as prototype for other WMFL Corporation markets South Florida News 9 was the 1st WMFL Corporation local-news channel (along w/ Palm Beach News 5) & WMFL Corporation has since added 24-hour local news networks in several other markets modeled after South Florida News 9, including: * Chicagoland News 6, Chicago, Illinois (1990) * Pittsburgh's NewsChannel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1990) * New England Cable NewsChannel, New England, USA (1992) * NewsChannel 6, Washington, D.C. (1992) * Toronto's NewsChannel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (1995) * Ohio's NewsChannel, Ohio Statewide (unknown) * Northwest Cable NewsChannel, Pacific Northwest Area (unknown) Format The most-common "program" on South Florida News 9 is a half-hour block beginning @ the top & bottom of every hour. Every Half-Hour starts off w/ the "South Florida Minute", a 1-minute summary on the day's top headlines, followed by South Florida News 9's News Open & then the top stories. Afterwards, "Weather on the 9's", a 1-minute weather summary on the day's forecast. The remainder of the half-hour is filled with pre-recorded news segments heavily focusing on stories from the South Florida area. Nearly all stories are pre-recorded, even segments made to look like they are happening LIVE; instead of a "LIVE" indicator while reporters speak, most South Florida News 9 stories have a graphic saying merely that the reporter is (or, rather, was) "on scene". This is because when the report first aired, it may have been LIVE but is usually not once re-aired, unless it updates BREAKING NEWS. Moreover, reporters generally shoot their own stories with video-camera & take them back to the newsroom to be edited into the broadcast rotation. Sports reports are featured throughout the day, while a 25-minute wrap-up sports show, South Florida Sports Wrap, is featured every night at 11:35 PM. In an effort to compete with local late-night newscasts on WMFL Corporation's rival stations, on January 22nd 2007, South Florida News 9 introduced it's own 11:00 PM newscast, News at 11:00 South Florida News 9's Newscast Schedule Weekdays *4:30 AM-12:00 PM: South Florida News 9 All Morning *12:00-5:00 PM: South Florida News 9 All Day *5:00-8:00 PM: South Florida News 9 All Evening *8:00-9:00 PM: South Florida TONIGHT *9:00-11:00 PM: South Florida News 9 All Evening *11:00-11:35 PM: South Florida News 9 at 11:00 *11:35 PM-12:00 AM: South Florida Sports Wrap *12:00-4:00 AM: South Florida News 9 All Night *4:00-4:25 AM: South Florida Sports Wrap (repeat) *4:25-4:30 AM: South Florida News 9's First Weather/Traffic Weekends *4:30 AM-11:00 PM: South Florida News 9 All Weekend *11:00-11:35 PM: South Florida News 9 at 11:00 *11:35 PM-12:00 AM: South Florida Sports Wrap *12:00-4:00 AM: South Florida News 9 All Weekend *4:00-4:25 AM: South Florida Sports Wrap (repeat) *4:25-4:30 AM: South Florida News 9's First Weather/Traffic Sister station in the Palm Beaches & the Treasure Coast areas See Palm Beach News 5 External links